Or, welcome to my low-maintenance heck.

I am hearing more and more about the "A Roadmap for America" plan created and promoted by Republican Paul Ryan. Now, I see that Sen Dick Armey is now berating the GOP for not outright fully supporting and authorizing the "Roadmap".

I looked it over a while back and did not really like what I saw. I thought I would peruse it once more and get a more in-depth analysis for myself and our readers (Brian's parents).

For the portion detailing his options for changing Health Care, Paul Ryan has these bullet points:

Provides a refundable tax credit – $2,300 for individuals and $5,700 for families – to purchase coverage in any State, and keep it with them if they move or change jobs.

Provides transparency in health care price and quality data, making this critical information readily available before someone needs health services.

Creates state-based health care exchanges, so individuals and families have a one-stop marketplace to purchase affordable health insurance without being discriminated against based on pre-existing conditions.

Equips states with tools like auto-enrollment programs and high-risk pools, so affordable health coverage can be accessed by all.

Addresses health care’s growing strain on small businesses, by allowing them to pool together nationally to offer coverage to their employees.

Encourages the adoption of health information technology and assists states in establishing solutions to medical malpractice litigation.

While this is definitely not the Obama plan passed by the Socialists, it is also definitely not one from a Conservative.

While I applaud the inclusion of nation-wide insurance that anyone from any state can purchase, I deplore the use of tax credits. This is nothing but the same thing Obama has done with his vouchers.

Transparency is pricing? How much transparent can you get from just asking? All you have to do is ask the doctor what it will cost. He will tell you. If he lies, then don't use that doctor again.

State-based health exchanges?? This moves the Federal control over Health Insurance to the states. Again, government controlsponsored health insurance. This should be left to the private insurance companies.

And, here again we see the Liberal's favorite taling point, pre-existing conditions. While I might agree with this principle for children, I am Constitutionaly opposed to it for adults. The government should not be telling any company who they must sell their product to. One bright spot, I don't see anywhere here that this plan forces what price the company must charge for people with pre-existing conditions.

Auto-enrollment programs? What the heck does that mean? That doesn't sound very nice. That sounds something eerily like Mandatory to me.

I like the idea of allowing businesses greater access to many more plan options and the ability to pool with other businesses. This again, should be allowed, not pushed though. But then Paul Ryan's plan goes back to Federal control by having the Feds push state assistance plans.

Overall, this is just a watered down ObamaCare plan. I don't like it. Instead of coming up with a pure Conservative plan, Paul Ryan just gave us a "compromise" version.

MedicareMedicaid

For the portion detailing his options for changing MedicareMedicaid, Paul Ryan has these bullet points:

It preserves the existing Medicare program for those currently enrolled or becoming eligible in the next 10 years (those 55 and older today) - So Americans can receive the benefits they planned for throughout their working lives. For those currently under 55 – as they become Medicare-eligible – it creates a Medicare payment, initially averaging $11,000, to be used to purchase a Medicare certified plan. The payment is adjusted to reflect medical inflation, and pegged to income, with low-income individuals receiving greater support. The plan also provides risk adjustment, so those with greater medical needs receive a higher payment.

The proposal also fully funds Medical Savings Accounts [MSAs] for low-income beneficiaries, while continuing to allow all beneficiaries, regardless of income, to set up tax-free MSAs.

Based on consultation with the Office of the Actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and using Congressional Budget Office [CBO] these reforms will make Medicare permanently solvent

Modernizes Medicaid and strengthens the health care safety net by reforming high-risk pools, giving States maximum flexibility to tailor Medicaid programs to the specific needs of their populations. Allows Medicaid recipients to take part in the same variety of options and high-quality care available to everyone through the tax credit option.

All I can say for this section.... Socialist Welfare!! Hands out AT LEAST $11,000 per person to purchase a government-approved health insurance plan and FULLY FUNDS an MSA for the poor, which I find ironic since they already have free healthcare via Medicaid. This, to me, expands government entitlements - not decreasing them.

The last two bullets make no sense to me. How can increasing government handouts through welfare-based healthcare increase solvency? And what is that crap about Modernizing? This all sounds like Democrat Socialist gobbli-gook. What about corruption and fraud and accounting errors? From what I hear that alone could save billions. Heck, even Obama put that in HIS plan.

Overall, this is just an expansion of ObamaCare. I don't like it. Instead of coming up with a pure Conservative plan, Paul Ryan just gave us another version of ObamaCare.

Tax Reform

For the portion detailing his options for Tax Reform, Paul Ryan has these bullet points:

Provides individual income tax payers a choice of how to pay their taxes – through existing law, or through a highly simplified code that fits on a postcard with just two rates and virtually no special tax deductions, credits, or exclusions (except the health care tax credit).

Simplifies tax rates to 10 percent on income up to $100,000 for joint filers, and $50,000 for single filers; and 25 percent on taxable income above these amounts. Also includes a generous standard deduction and personal exemption (totaling $39,000 for a family of four).

Eliminates the alternative minimum tax [AMT].

Promotes saving by eliminating taxes on interest, capital gains, and dividends; also eliminates the death tax.

Replaces the corporate income tax – currently the second highest in the industrialized world – with a border-adjustable business consumption tax of 8.5 percent. This new rate is roughly half that of the rest of the industrialized world.

Now, this section, I love. This is the only part of this "Roadmap" that I like. This needs to be implemented on its own. Throw the rest away. This is the probably one of the best things that Congress can do to get this economy back on its feet.

However, I would probably amend the first bullet. Why ADD to the tax code to add the "other" option? Just start over and place everyone on this new tax plan. Simplify it, don't complicate it!!

Overall, I find Rep Paul Ryan's plan to be just an extension of ObamaCare. For Health Care and MedicaidMedicare, this roadmap would either expand upon ObamaCare or institute a fluffy compromise package that expands entitlements and welfare.

With the exception of the Tax Reform portion, I would not be touting this as a way to fix this economy and a way to confront the Socialist ObamaCare disaster. I would also not be humiliating the other GOP for not supporting this anti-Conservative, pro-DemocratSocialist plan.

All this plan would do is expand upon what the Socialist and Progressives are already doing.

We don't need more ObamaCare. We need LESS. Much less. We need to have the FEDS get out of the health care management business. Their only necessity is in oversight. And, should we enable nation-wide enrollment, then there will need to be a Fedearl level Insurance Commissioner that would do the same duty as state-level Insurance Commissioners.